The Boston Celtics were the favorites to clinch the Eastern Conference when the postseason began. While they did start their title defense well, taking care of business against Orlando, things soon took a bad turn. The Cs looked out of sync against the New York Knicks in the second round. The result? They never looked in control of the series and fell to the Knicks in just 6 games. To top it all off, the series also saw Jayson Tatum rupture his right Achilles Tendon. This injury not only landed a massive blow to Boston’s title defense, it has also completely changed their vision for the upcoming season.

The Celtics’ six-time All-Star’s injury has cast a dark shadow over the franchise. That’s because if Boston’s expensive roster stays the same, they’ll need around $500 million to cover their salary cap and luxury tax. That means a massive offseason awaits them.

Of course, they’ll need to get rid of one or two core players to alleviate their expenditures. This will give them some space to replace these players with younger or minimum contract players, hoping that their depth will hold out. But which players are the Celtics willing to axe? Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis are at the top of the list given their massive contracts.

However, the most notable name Boston might be willing to give up is their point guard, Derrick White. Well, even before Tatum’s injury, one of Boston’s guards had to leave. That’s because the apron spares no one, not even the defending champions. Still, White’s departure might come as a surprise. The Cs’ point guard, who will be 31 next season, has a massive four-year, $118 million contract. That makes his deal too good to trade away.

Other teams might ask, but they’ll really have to make a big offer to get this one through. However, according to sources, that deal might come from the Golden State Warriors.

USA Today via Reuters

Stephen Curry and Co. are looking to add a third option besides him and Jimmy Butler after their second-round exit from the playoffs. The Warriors are trying to maximize their championship window with their veteran core and are looking to rejuvenate their roster. While White seems like a perfect match for the Dubs, one question remains. What deal can they provide to the Celtics?

That’s another story altogether. The Warriors will have to give up a lot in order to acquire Derrick White. Nonetheless, they might be willing to do so given the caliber of the Boston Celtics point guard. So, it will be worth watching how this one plays out. Meanwhile, the Cs have to deal with several unusual allegations.

An array of allegations hit the Boston Celtics after playoff exit

The Boston Celtics’ season was not supposed to end like this. This year, the Celtics bounced out of the postseason much earlier than expected. There’s no doubt that bad luck played a part in their troubles with Jayson Tatum getting injured and Kristaps Porzingis suffering from an illness. However, that wasn’t the only reason. Several experts accused the defending champions of relying too much on 3-pointers.

via Imago

According to ESPN’s Alan Hahn, it’s as the saying goes, you live by the three or you die by the three, and the latter prevailed in Boston’s case. “They missed 180 threes in six games, that’s an average of 30 per game. The Knicks averaged 33 attempts per game; they relied on it, lived and died; they died.” Hahn Stated.

Indeed, their three-point shooting, due to which they won last year, is the reason they are out of the postseason this time around. However, it wasn’t just that. There was a level of arrogance added to it.

“They looked at this and said, ‘instead of doing what it would take to defeat this opponent, we’re just going to do what we do and assume that what we do is so good no one can beat us when we do it,’ right. That is, I think, what he means. Look, I’m not putting words in Brian Scalabrine’s mouth, but I feel like that’s what he’s saying there was sort of an institutional arrogance about the team,” said Mike Greenberg.

He pointed out that instead of adapting to the situation, the Celtics thought that no one could beat them, just like last season. While unfamiliar, the Celtics have to shrug off this criticism, and have big decisions to make in the offseason.